Hydraulic transmission



Dec. 2, 1952 L. L. CHIVILLE, JR

HXDRAULIC TRANSMISSION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 vAzwzz ifamz/e J2" m/%Wfl% FiledAug. 12, 1948 Dec. 2, 1952 CHIVILLE,'JR

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 12. 1948 Dec. 2, 1952L. L. CHIVILLE, JR

HYDRAULIC TRANSMISSION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 12, 1948 PatentedDec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a hydraulic transmission and more particularlyto a hydraulic transmission for regulating the speed of one shaftrelative to the speed of a second shaft. Either of the shafts may beindependently driven or may be driven from a single prime mover.Regardless of the source of power, the transmission of this inventionmay be employed to adjust and maintain the speed of one shaft above orbelow or at the same speed of the other shaft.

The transmission of this invention may be used with advantage in ahelicopter having contrarotating rotors and in which one rotor is drivenby jet units on the rotor. In another embodiment, the transmission ofthis invention may be used in a helicopter which is driven by aninternal combustion engine attached to a drive shaft or may be used inan automotive trans mission for transmitting power from a drive shaft toa driven shaft.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing myhydraulic transmission attached to the drive shafts carrying helicopterrotors; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlargedvertical section of one element of the hydraulic transmission; Figs. 5and 6 are horizontal sections along lines 5-5 and $'5 of Fig. 4,respectively. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a modified form of thedevice and Fig. 8 is a vertical section along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, It indicates a first rotor having bladesII, I2 and I3, and M indicates a second rotor having blades I5, I6 andH. The rotor I S is equipped with jet units I 8 located at the outerextremity of each blade. In the particular embodiment chosen for anexemplary disclosure the jet units I8 comprise the only source of powerfor rotating both rotors although it will be obvious from the followingdescription that similar jet units may be attached to the rotor It orthat the rotor may be driven by an internal combustion engine or othersource of power.

The rotor It is mounted at the end of a preferably hollow drive shaft I9rotatably mounted in a housing 2e while the rotor It is mounted upon adrive shaft 21 similarly rotatably mounted in the housing 2Q. It will benoted that the shaft 2| is hollow with the shaft I9 extendingtherethrough and fuel lines for the jet units I8 together with controlrods for varying the pitch of the rotors may also be enclosed Within theshafts I9 and 2 l.

Fixed to the end of the shaft 2i is a spur gear 22 and a beveled gear 23and a similar spur gear 2 3 is fixed to the shaft I9 as well as anotherbeveled gear 25. The beveled gears 23 and 25 constitute part of aplanetary gear system 26 which is in the familiar form of a planetcarrier or spider 2i carrying three rotatably mounted beveled planetgears 28. The gears 28 mesh with each of the beveled gears 23 and 25 andthe spider 2'! is mounted for free rotation on the shaft IQ. The spider21 is provided with external teeth thereon to form a gear SI.

While I have shown one type of planetary gear system 26 it will beobvious that other types may be used and I do not intend to limit theinvention to the particular type of planetary system shown.

At the right hand portion of the housing 29 is located my hydraulictransmission comprising a pair of identical transmission units 29 and3%. As these units are identical only one of which (29) will bedescribed.

A spur gear 32 is in mesh with the gear Y22 and has aiilxed thereto asby the bolts 33 a fluid chamber as. A plurality of vanes 35 are fixed tothe interior of the chamber 34 and are ar ranged about the periphery ofthe chamber, that is, are arranged in the form of a circle within thecircular chamber 34. A second set of vanes 36 is located within thechamber and fixed to a rotatable member 31. The member 31 is con nectedto a shaft 33 which extends through an opening 39 in the gear 32 andabout which shaft the gear 32 is rotatable. The vanes 35 and 3b are soarranged within the chamber 34 as to provide a central cylindricalopening 46 therebetween. Located in the opening 40 is an inverted cupshaped member i! to prevent cross flow of liquid. The member iI isconnected to a control rod 42 and movable by means of the control rodaxially of the chamber 34. A compression spring i3 is located between acollar A l on the control rod and a tubular extension of the housing andthrough which the rod 42 extends. A plurality of openings i! areprovided in the member 4! to permit fluid to return to the upper partof. the chamber 3:? with vertical movement of the cup. Attached to thecup member l and movable therewith is a disk .8 having a diameterapproximately equal to the inside diameter of the chamber 34 andprovided with a plurality of slots 49 through which the vanes 35 extend.

The shaft 38 extends into the second hydraulic unit 30 in which it isattached to a vaned member similar to the member 3'! in the chamber 29.Fixed to the shaft 38 intermediate the two chambers is a gear 59 whichmeshes with the gear SI on the planet carrier.

True neutral, in which rotor It is rotating while rotor I 4 isstationary, may be achieved by manipulation of the control rods 32 and42a. With both those control rods fully depressed so as to expose nopart of the vanes fixed to the shaft 38 to fluid driven by the vanesfixed to the chambers, the planet carrier should rotate at one half thespeed of the shaft I9 and theoretically, no rotation will be imparted tothe shaft 2|. Actually, with the control rods so depressed, there willbe a tendency for the planet carrier 21 to rotate at somewhat less thanhalf the speed of the shaft I9 and hence to cause the rotor I4 to rotateslowly in the opposite direction to the rotor I0. This tendency may beovercome by moving the control rod 42a slightly, thus exposing the vanesfixed to the shaft 38 to the action of the vanes fixed to the fluidchamber 34a. As the gear 32a is rotating faster than the gear 50,movement of the control rod 42a tends to urge the shaft 38 to rotationin the same direction as the gear 32a and accelerate the rotation of thegear 3| and transmission 26 to a speed equal to one half of the rotationof the shaft I9 and thereby halt the rotation of the rotor I4.

If it is desired to drive the rotor I4 in the opposite direction but atthe same speed as the rotor I0, the control rod 42 may be moved upwardto expose the vanes 36 to the action of the fluid moved by the vanes 35.Such movement of the control rod 42 tends to decelerate the rotation ofthe shaft 38 and hence the planet carrier to start the rotor I4 rotatingslowly in a direction opposite to the rotation of the rotor I and thegear 32 and the chamber 34 will also commence to rotate in a directionopposite the rotation of the gear 32a and the chamber 34a. With suchrotation of the transmission 29, the shaft .33 is further decelerateduntil a point is reached where that shaft is stationary and the planetcarrier 26 is also stationary. When this condition exists the shaft 2Iwill be rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation of the shaft I9but at the same speed. Movement of the control rod 42d upwards anddownwards from this position will cause the rotor M to rotate at afaster or slower rate than the rotor I0.

My transmission may also be used where the rotors are to be driven by aninternal combustion engine attached to the shaft I9 and it may be usedin an automotive transmission to control the rotation of a driven shaftrelative to the rotation of a drive shaft. For this latter type ofconstruction I prefer to use a slight modification of the device,.suchmodified embodiment being shownin Figs. '7 and 8.

Referring to those figures, I show a housing I00 in which is rotatablymounted a drive shaft IIJI and a driven shaft I02. A planetary gearsystem I03 is interposed between said shafts,

said planetary gear system comprising a beveled gear I04 mounted on theend of the driven shaft I02, a beveled gear I05 mounted on the driveshaft IOI with each of the gears I04 and I05 engaging three beveledgears I00 rotatably mounted on a planet carrier therebetween. A gear I01having external teeth is mounted upon the planet carrier. A spur gearI08 is mounted on the drive shaft IOI as shown and engages a gear I00secured to a fluid chamber II.0: on a hydraulic transmission III. Thetransmission III is similar in allrespects to the transmission, 29previously described. Av second similar transmission H2 is located inthe housing I00 having a fluid chamber II3 rotated by a spur gear IIA. Ashaft II5 is connected to the rotatable vanes within each of thetransmissions and hasthereon mounted a spur gear IIt-meshing with thegear I01 on the planet carrier. A comparatively small spur gear III ismounted upon a .rotatableshaft. HE and mesheswith the 4 gear I08 but notwith the gear I09. Also fixed to the shaft H8 is a spur gear H9 meshingwith a gear Ill.

Power applied to the drive shaft IOI causes rotation of the gear I08 andhence of the gears I09 and H4 associated with each of the fluidtransmissions. The rotation of the gears I09 and H4 however will beopposite to each other by virtue of the arrangement just described.

In neutral position, th planet carrier will rotate at half the speed ofthe drive shaft IN and will transmit no power to the driven shaft I02.If it is desired to rotate the driven shaft I02 in a direction oppositeto the rotation of the shaft IOI the control rod I20 associated with thetransmission II2 may be moved upwardly to the position shown while thecontrol rod I2I associated with the transmission III is moved downwardlyto a position wherein the rotatable vanes are not subject to the actionof the fluid moved by the vanes fixed to the fluid chamber H0. Theposition of the control rod I20 may be so adjusted so that the vanes inthe chamber I I3 and fixed to the shaft II5 are exposed to fluidpropelled by the vanes fixed to the chamber to urge the shaft [I5 towardrotation in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation in whichit is urged by the planet carrier I01. If the shaft I20 is properlyadjusted so that such rotational forces are opposite and equal, theshaft I I5 is held stationary and hence the planet carrier is similarlystopped. In this position the driven shaft IfIZ will rotate at the samespeed but in the opposite direction to the shaft IOI. Furtheradjustment. of the control rod I20 is adapted to cause the shaft II5 torotate in the same direction as the gear Ill and thereby to cause theplanet carrier to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation of thedrive shaft IiII When this condition exists the driven shaft will bedriven at a greater speed and in the opposite direction to the driveshaft.

When it is desired to rotate the driven shaft in the same direction asthe drive shaft the control rod I28 may be depressed so as to render thetransmission II2 inoperative and the control rod I2I may be movedupwardly to expose the rotatable vanes to the. action of the fluidimpelled by the vanes fixed to the chamber IIO. Such action will urgethe shaft H5, which in neutral is rotating in the same direction as thegear I99 but at the slower speed, to increase its speed of rotation andhence to rotate the planet carrier at a speed greater than one-half thespeed of rotation of the drive shaft. When this condition occurs thedriven shaft I02 will commence to rotate in the same direction as thedrive shaft. The control rod I2I may be so adjusted until a point isreached wherein the planet carrier is rotating at the same speed as thedrive shaft and hence the driven shaft will rotate at that speed and inthe same direction as the. drive shaft.

While I have shown and described my ini vention in its preferredembodiments it is to be understood that it is capable of manymodifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangementmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a drive shaft, adriven shaft, a planet carrier positioned between said shafts androtatably supporting a plurality of planet gears,

a gear on the drive shaft and a gear on the driven shaft, said lastnamed gears being positioned on opposite sides of and meshing with theplanet gears, a rotatable chamber containing hydraulic fluid, means forrotating said chamber in a relative direction reverse to the directionof rotation of the drive shaft, a plurality of impeller vanes attachedto the interior of the chamber, rotor means rotatable within the chamberand adapted to be rotated by fluid propelled by th vanes, means forcontrolling the amount of fluid propelled by the vanes including a diskwithin the chamber and conforming substantially to the shape thereof,said disk having a plurality of slots with a vane positioned in eachslot, means for moving said disk axially of the chamber to control thearea of the vanes on either side of the disk, and means connecting therotor with the planet carrier to control the speed of rotation thereof.

2. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 in which said vanesare attached at spaced intervals to the inner periphery of the chamberto provide a central cylindrical fluid passage, an inverted cup in thepassage having the disk attached thereto with the edges of the cuphaving a length approximately equal to the length of the vanes, fluidpassages in the upper portion of the cup, and a rod attached to the cupfor moving the cup and disk axially of the chamber.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a drive shaft, adriven shaft, a planet carrier positioned between said shafts androtatably supporting a plurality of planet gears, a gear on the driveshaft and a gear on the driven shaft, said last named gears beingpositioned on opposite sides of and meshing with the planet gears, meansdefining a pair of fluid chambers each containing fluid, impeller vanesin each chamber, means connecting the vanes to the drive shaft to rotatethe vanes in the first chamber in a direction opposite to the directionof rotation of the vanes in the second chamber with rotation of thedrive shaft, rotor means in each chamber, means connecting each rotormeans with the planet carrier, and control means in each chamber forcontrolling the amount of fluid propelled by the vanes therein whereby acontrol the speed of rotation of the planet carrier relative to thedrive shaft.

4. Apparatus of the character described in claim 3 in which said meansfor connecting the rotors tothe planet carrier comprise a shaft securedto each rotor, a gear fixed on the shaft, and a gear formed on theplanet carrier and meshing with said last named gear.

5. In a system having a drive shaft, a gear thereon, a driven shaft, agear on the driven shaft, and a planet carrier rotatably supporting aplurality of planet gears meshing with said gears and operativelyinterposed between the drive shaft and driven shaft, means forcontrolling the operation of the planet carrier comprising a chambercontaining fluid, a fluid impeller in the chamber, means connecting theimpeller to the drive shaft to rotate the impeller, a second fluidchamber containing fluid, a second fluid impeller in the last mentionedchamber, reverse means connecting the second impeller to the drive shaftto rotate the second impeller in a direction opposite to the directionof rotation of the first impeller, rotor means rotatable in response tofluid moved by the impellers, a rotor shaft rotated by the rotor means,and means connecting the shaft to the planet carrier.

6. Apparatus of the character described in claim 5 including controlmeans for each impeller operable to vary the amount of fluid propelledthereby against the rotor whereby to control the speed and direction ofrotation of said rotor shaft.

7. Apparatus of the character described in claim 6 in which saidimpellers include a plurality of vanes fixed to each fluid chamber, eachof said chambers being rotated by said drive shaft and in which saidcontrol means for each impeller comprises a disk in each fluid chamberhaving slots with the vanes disposed in the slots, said disk beingmovable axially of the chamber to vary the area of said vanes exposed todrive fluid against said rotor means.

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising a drive shaft, adriven shaft, a planet carrier positioned between said shafts androtatably supporting a plurality of planet gears, a ear on the driveshaft and a gear on the driven shaft, said last named gears beingpositioned on opposite sides of and meshing with the planet gears, meansdefining a first and a second fluid chamber each containing fluidimpeller vanes in each chamber, means connecting the vanes in one of thechambers to the drive shaft to rotate the vanes therein in onedirection, means including at least one of said gears for connecting thevanes in the second chamber to the drive shaft to rotate the same in adirection opposite to the direction of rotation of the vanes in thefirst chamber with rotation of the drive shaft, rotor means in eachchamber, means connecting each rotor means with the planet carrier tocontrol the rotation thereof, and control means in each chamber forcontrolling the amount of fluid propelled by the vanes therein wherebyto control the speed of rotation of the planet carrier relative to thedrive shaft.

9. Apparatus of the character described in claim 1 in which said drivenshaft is hollow and in which said drive shaft extends through the drivenshaft and including helicopter rotors secured to the drive and drivenshafts for rotation in opposite directions with rotation of the driveand driven shafts in opposite directions.

LESLIE L. CI-IIVILLE, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED s'rArns PATENTS Number Name Date 1,077,454 Cooke Nov. 4, 19131,125,593 Pinckney Jan. 19, 1915 1,242,974 Pinckney Oct. 16, 19172,133,276 Ballantyne Oct. 18, 1938 2,162,251 Emrick June 13, 19392,266,085 Sanderson Dec. 16, 1941 2,515,831 McFarland July 18, 1950FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 648,142 Germany Mar. 7, 1933 685,879France Apr. 7, 1930

